Conference!!
Talk about one of the best weekends of the mission so far! This whole week has been good and I am super glad that everything is well at home. The package was awesome and I was stoked to put up my Idaho flag and give Elder Cunningham his first Crapo Trucking hat:) As for things in the mission world, they are GREAT! We actually didn't get to watch the first session of conference... I don't know if you remember the letter where I talked about the lady who yelled at Elder Cunningham in the parking lot of an apartment complex? Well, like two weeks ago she had been yelling at us telling us she couldn't wait for December to come so that she could just die.... Well, I need to be more Christ like, but anywho...:) She had asked for the ward to help move her at ten o'clock Saturday morning. So we went and were going to watch the first part of conference with Brother Finau and then walk over to help her move! But we couldn't find the BYU channel until after President Monson had made the announcement! So we had no idea what was even going on and then when it was time for us to leave. We went over and started to help with the move. Sister Scharmann, the Relief Society president, was like, "So what did you think of the new mission age?" Elder Cunningham and I looked at each other and we were like, "what do you mean?" So she told us and it was like we had just won the Super Bowl! We were pumped!! My first thought went to my nieces and nephews and how much that would impact their lives! I am so so so excited for you kids and how much it will help you. I guess I just thought about Mataia and how close she was and hopefully she just decides to go;) I want the kids to know that this experience is nothing like what you will ever in a million years experience before the mission. High school has absolutely no comparison. Set your standards HIGH. Don't ever play down to someone elses level. It is like in all the sports you're playing. Some games when you play bad teams, you just don't play as good- because they aren't as good. But then when you play a good team you play much better. You need to be the good team! Make the other kids around you play up to your standards. Never lower the bar for any friends. It is no longer good enough to just get over the bar. The church is setting new heights and is really leaning on the youth to start that change. There was a talk that said our youth as a whole is stronger now than it ever has been. What I have found though is that you can't be fence sitters. Swaying a little both ways no longer works. As I have met with members here it is amazing to see the strength of them and how hard they are willing to work to be close to our Father in Heaven. I am just so proud of the kids because I know that my nieces and nephews are definitely up to par in that case. I also had a way cool experience just with conference in general because this past week has been a little tougher. I'm not sure why, but it has. The things that were said in conference really lifted my spirits and have shown me how the Atonement can work in my life. As you kids begin to get to high school and you wonder what it is you should be learning or what you can do to be better missionaries than I ever could dream of being- really focus on Seminary. Don't be like me and look for every excuse to miss. That class has more value than Math or Science. It is everything you need to know. I know I am really focusing this letter on the kids. Sorry parents, but I just can't get them out of my mind and how Stoked I am for them!!!! Take advantage of what the Lord is giving us- especially the girls! I almost feel as though girls shouldn't put off the mission anymore because they will be back in plenty of time to get married! The mission trains you. I feel like the Lord is totally preparing me for life. Through this experience I am learning skills that, no offense to Idaho, simply can not be learned there. At least not for me, because learning missionary work is hard! It is a mental game. I work everyday to keep my thoughts where they need to be and study as hard as I can and I always fall short... But that is ok. The Atonement is there because Heavenly Father knew that I was not going to be perfect! Thank Heaven, too:) I read in the Ensign the other day that the most important thing you can do in your youth is learn how to use the Atonement in your life. It is much, much more than just asking for forgiveness. It is a change of a view because our view as human beings is off. Heavenly Father does not look at us in terms of today and tomorrow. He sees us in terms of Eternity!!!!:) I wish I could take all I am learning and just give it to all the kids! I guess with all this, I just want you all to know I love you and conference made me think of you:) It was an awesome weekend and I really wanted to see Hali and Jeff on the TV but it just didn't quite see you guys.
Now that I am off my soap box and the kids think that their Uncle is CRAZY! I will tell you all the fun stuff that is going on in my mission life:) Today we are playing a little football... SOUTH ZONE VS SPRING MOUNTAIN ZONE! Just so you know, you want SPRING MOUNTAIN to win! No, we are all representatives of Jesus Christ but still its going to be awesome!! This is just a warm up game for the Turkey bowl when Thanksgiving rolls around. Oh, and we just found out today that Elder Echo Hawk, the guy who spoke in, I believe the second session on Saturday will be here touring the best mission in the world sometime in November. So that will be pretty sweet! Last night we had another awesome lesson with a less active family. They are so cool and are preparing to go to the temple and be sealed together for time and all eternity. And they invited us back to watch the second half of the session that we missed. So that will be good a little later on in the week. Also Sabrina is doing awesome and she is going to be baptized on October 20:) And her mom is going to be baptized in another stake on October 15, so we get to go and watch that! We are way excited. As for the Finau's they are doing OK, but yes, they have some major health problems. Brother Finau has been on Dialysis for 11 years now and is still just the happiest man in the world. I love him to death. Sister Finau is having some health problems, too. But talk to her - she is awesome! She is always on Facebook it sounds like. She would love to chat about pretty much anything.
August 6 marked Elder Cunnigham's 2 years, so his time is quickly coming to an end. I am going to be pretty down when he leaves. He is a stud and has taught me so much! I love working here with him. You will have to go and listen to his homecoming when he is done here. Things in our area are kind of slow, so we have spent a lot of time knocking on doors this last week. Hopefully we will be able to see some fruits from that labor. It is so tiring to just knock and knock and knock, but it feels way good to go home at night and just CRASH! I think about my calling and how sacred it really is. The other day we got yelled at by some dude because we were tracting in a gated community. We told him we were representatives of Jesus Christ going around sharing a very special message and he kind of mocked us saying, "Oh, your Representatives of Jesus Christ, huh?!" Which is so frustrating, because we truly are! Think about that concept kids, representing Jesus Christ! That is what I get the wonderful opportunity of doing each and everyday! And you will get to do that too soon!:) An Elder in my district said the best part about our mission is we are the closest thing that anyone can have to having Jesus Christ in their home. Now that isn't to say that we are that good, because we aren't. It is to say that Jesus Christ is that good. He can make up the marks that we have or the downfalls we have because He knows better than I do that we aren't perfect. But He helps us everyday and it is cool to see the work that is going on here.
I want to leave with you all my testimony of the things that the Prophets taught this last week are true! If you will study and apply what they have taught you, it can change our behaviors that are not in line with his teachings. There is a saying that I have been thinking of each day that came to mind, The lord asks for your very best.... not perfection. That has been a hard lesson for me to learn because making mistakes really stinks. But you have to continue on. It is like Brother Ford says, "Quit feeling sorry for yourself, dummy! There is Work to be Done!!!" haha Even though that was not directed at me, it applies. I want you all to know I know that the church is true and the principles it teaches can change our lives:) In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Have an awesome week and keep digging those spuds!!! Enjoy the weather because you could be here, where there are no seasons;) I love you all and can't wait to hear from you! Thanks so much for the packages by the way. They are way fun to get and they put a smile on my face every time:) Good luck in all your games this week and all the work!! Hope you all stay safe and have fun!
Love,
Elder Crapo
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